The Major 9 Chord
In this video, these are the Major 9 chords and Major 9 chords are - they consist of 1, 3, 5, 7 and the 9. So they are extended Major 7 chords. So you know how we had sophisticated triads where 7 and Major 7’s and 6’s was. Well, these are sophisticated Major 7th chord or Major 6th chord or any of the tier that was above the basic triad. Think of this as an extended Major 7th chord. They contain a 9. The chord gets its name, derived its name from a space between a tonic and a farthest note out. In this case the farthest note out is a 9, a 9 being a high 2, a 2 on the next octave.
We’re going to work on the first 5 fret of the guitar to illustrate each one of these chord forms. We’re going to the Major 9 A through G starting with A major 9.
This form, most of the forms we’re going to work with are movable. With this form we’re going to have our middle here on the 5th fret. We’re going to have this here, our index on the 4th string on the 4th fret. We’re going to have our ring finger on the 2nd string on the 5th fret and our pinky finger is going to be up front. Now it’s kind a look’s like a 6th chord. Well, what are we going to do per the diagram is we’re just going to flatten this back here. First thing we’re going to do is flatten this back here and we’re going to remove pinky finger over one string and this is going to be our major 9 chord. So per the diagram, this is the correct way to play a Major 9. And it’s a little crammed up in here but if you look at the diagram, this really what it’s supposed to look like from a physical level. This is your 1 and then you got all the other decreased number on diagram on the inset. So here it is Major 9, A Major 9. Let’s try that again. There we go, A Major 9.
So some of these chords is going to be really tough for you to do because they require you to put your hand in weird compromising positions, not be very comfortable. But actually, this is going to train you to be a better player both on sonic level as far as recognizing what notes sound good with what other note and so on. It’s pushing the limits to what you hear as acceptable in other words. A lot of these chords are going to sound kind of weird at first. But you kind of warm up to them just like some people you serve. You meet them just like, “There’s something wrong with you,” and eventually it just comes back and you can relate to them.
This is A Major 9. Why don’t we do that one more time? Try that again one more time, really, really mellow chord. Nice and big, rounded. There’s no restriction on this chord with all the strings. Just go through the strings and make sure each one’s coming out and should be good to go. And then 8of course in versions or different ways to play this chord without the 1 always being on the bottom. But this is what’s the guts of this video series is really about. It’s knowing what string the 1 is on. And in that chord, it is on the E string so it’s an E based form. See you on the next chord.
This next chord is called B Major 9 and it’s down on the 3rd fret, actually around the 3rd fret, down and around the 3rd fret. What we’re going to do is we’re going to do an A based Major 9 chord. So your index finger is going to be on the 5th string on the 2nd fret and per the diagram we’re going to arrange them as follows. This one’s here and this one’s right over here on the 4th string on the 4th,fret. This is an A based chord or Form 1 chord. When this is the 1, this is the 5 over here. So it’s okay to just go ahead and push them all down in here because it’s all coming from the same place. When you get a little more picky and a little more discerning, you can say, “Well, I really want 5 on the bottom. Let’s just mute that out or leave it out,” it’s fine. That’s a Major 9 in the A Form 1. See you on the next chord.
The next chord is a C Major 9 and you guessed it, we’re going to use the same formation we used to play the B Major 9. We’re just going to more it up one. Just like the piano B and C, C comes right after B. Okay, fine. There you go. So there’s C Major 9 right here. B major 9 was right here, C Major 9 is just 1 fret up from it on the 3rd fret. Remember if you want to, you can go ahead and hold this down too. And 1 note was the bottom of B by the way, just a little pop quiz. 5th so this is going to be G. So once again you’re being taught only by the best, so C Major 9, 5 at the bottom and that’s G, I knew that. I just acted like I didn’t to fool you into believing something that I haven’t really thought about yet. And I’m going to try to figure it out before I see you the next time so that I don’t look really stupid. See you the next chord.
This next chord is D major 9 and I’m not going to let you get away without doing the A position like I did with the C down here we just got done doing this. Saying you know with the E on the bottom.
We’re going to work on the first 5 fret of the guitar to illustrate each one of these chord forms. We’re going to the Major 9 A through G starting with A major 9.
This form, most of the forms we’re going to work with are movable. With this form we’re going to have our middle here on the 5th fret. We’re going to have this here, our index on the 4th string on the 4th fret. We’re going to have our ring finger on the 2nd string on the 5th fret and our pinky finger is going to be up front. Now it’s kind a look’s like a 6th chord. Well, what are we going to do per the diagram is we’re just going to flatten this back here. First thing we’re going to do is flatten this back here and we’re going to remove pinky finger over one string and this is going to be our major 9 chord. So per the diagram, this is the correct way to play a Major 9. And it’s a little crammed up in here but if you look at the diagram, this really what it’s supposed to look like from a physical level. This is your 1 and then you got all the other decreased number on diagram on the inset. So here it is Major 9, A Major 9. Let’s try that again. There we go, A Major 9.
So some of these chords is going to be really tough for you to do because they require you to put your hand in weird compromising positions, not be very comfortable. But actually, this is going to train you to be a better player both on sonic level as far as recognizing what notes sound good with what other note and so on. It’s pushing the limits to what you hear as acceptable in other words. A lot of these chords are going to sound kind of weird at first. But you kind of warm up to them just like some people you serve. You meet them just like, “There’s something wrong with you,” and eventually it just comes back and you can relate to them.
This is A Major 9. Why don’t we do that one more time? Try that again one more time, really, really mellow chord. Nice and big, rounded. There’s no restriction on this chord with all the strings. Just go through the strings and make sure each one’s coming out and should be good to go. And then 8of course in versions or different ways to play this chord without the 1 always being on the bottom. But this is what’s the guts of this video series is really about. It’s knowing what string the 1 is on. And in that chord, it is on the E string so it’s an E based form. See you on the next chord.
This next chord is called B Major 9 and it’s down on the 3rd fret, actually around the 3rd fret, down and around the 3rd fret. What we’re going to do is we’re going to do an A based Major 9 chord. So your index finger is going to be on the 5th string on the 2nd fret and per the diagram we’re going to arrange them as follows. This one’s here and this one’s right over here on the 4th string on the 4th,fret. This is an A based chord or Form 1 chord. When this is the 1, this is the 5 over here. So it’s okay to just go ahead and push them all down in here because it’s all coming from the same place. When you get a little more picky and a little more discerning, you can say, “Well, I really want 5 on the bottom. Let’s just mute that out or leave it out,” it’s fine. That’s a Major 9 in the A Form 1. See you on the next chord.
The next chord is a C Major 9 and you guessed it, we’re going to use the same formation we used to play the B Major 9. We’re just going to more it up one. Just like the piano B and C, C comes right after B. Okay, fine. There you go. So there’s C Major 9 right here. B major 9 was right here, C Major 9 is just 1 fret up from it on the 3rd fret. Remember if you want to, you can go ahead and hold this down too. And 1 note was the bottom of B by the way, just a little pop quiz. 5th so this is going to be G. So once again you’re being taught only by the best, so C Major 9, 5 at the bottom and that’s G, I knew that. I just acted like I didn’t to fool you into believing something that I haven’t really thought about yet. And I’m going to try to figure it out before I see you the next time so that I don’t look really stupid. See you the next chord.
This next chord is D major 9 and I’m not going to let you get away without doing the A position like I did with the C down here we just got done doing this. Saying you know with the E on the bottom.
